I- [ He pauses because he's not sure how to explain it. His world view does lean more towards the skeptic's side of things, but there's just some things that can't really be explained. ] I tend to see the world as black and white, or I did, but- I'm not going to suddenly decide to become a mystic or guru or anything, but I know that there's things out there. Forces. Unexplained events. Would I like to just pretend there's nothing out there, that the world is exactly as it appears? Sure.

[ He just shrugs. He's slowly realizing he can't just put his fingers in his ears and close his eyes and pretend.

He does, however, want to just pretend that these moments with Jesse won't be something brief, a flash in the pan. He might not be officially divorced, but he can't pretend he doesn't have an attachment to her already.

It doesn't go unnoticed, how she sighs against his lips, and how it's the most open she's been with him so far. Could we really have this? Could we make this work? I want it to work. I want to stay with her.

But he can also feel the way reality or the story or whatever the hell it is tugs at him. Go away. Just a little longer. Let us have this before you drag us into whatever you're doing.

He feels the way she presses herself against him, and he instantly leans in a little to give her the support she seems to be asking for. His fingers curl further into his hair and his lips crash against hers once more as his desire for her only grows.

When they both have to come up for air, he mumbles almost reluctantly, because he doesn't want this to end. ] You feel it too, don't you? That pull to get moving.

[ It's not the kind of movement that he wants. The last thing he wants is to move the way the story demands. ]